The subject of this patent application relates generally to electroculture, and more particularly to a hydroponic electroculture system and associated methods of use.
Applicant(s) hereby incorporate herein by reference any and all patents and published patent applications cited or referred to in this application.
By way of background, plants are sensitive to many different forms of stimuli. Not only are plants responsive to various environmental conditions—such as temperature, light quality, light direction and moisture, for example—but they are also responsive to other lesser known forms of stimuli—such as electricity and magnetism. The term “electroculture” refers to a group of techniques that uses electricity and magnetism to amplify and focus magnetic and natural electric forces of nature to boost soil fertility, and plant growth. Improved plant growth, quality and increased yields, are some of the noticeable effects of electroculture. The technology can also be used to protect plants from pests and diseases.
By way of further background, hydroponics is a branch of agriculture where plants are grown without the use of soil. The nutrients that the plants normally derive from the soil are simply dissolved into water instead; and depending on the type of hydroponic system used, the plant's roots are suspended in, flooded with or misted with the nutrient solution so that the plant can derive the elements it needs for growth. As the population of our planet soars and arable land available for crop production declines, hydroponics allows for the production of crops in greenhouses or other buildings and non-soil-based locations that may be adapted to support agriculture. Accordingly, hydroponics offers the ability to grow food in places where traditional agriculture simply isn't possible. Areas that don't receive consistent sunlight or warm weather can also benefit from hydroponics—such as with a hydroponic greenhouse, where light and temperature can be controlled to produce higher crop yields. Additionally, on average, hydroponic systems tend to only require roughly twenty percent (20%) of the amount of land, and roughly ten percent (10%) of the amount of water, typically required for soil-based crop growth.
Traditionally, electroculture techniques have been used in soil-based agricultural contexts. Thus, there remains a need for an electroculture system, and associated methods of use, adapted for use in hydroponic-based agricultural contexts.
Aspects of the present invention fulfill these needs and provide further related advantages as described in the following summary.